


The Birthday Girl

by notgeorgelucas



Series: Tales from the Korraverse [3]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-29
Updated: 2015-12-29
Packaged: 2018-05-10 02:19:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5565424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notgeorgelucas/pseuds/notgeorgelucas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Lin Beifong's birthday, and someone is bound and determined to make it a day to remember--unless she kills him first.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Birthday Girl

Lin Beifong folded her arms over her chest and surveyed her kingdom. Her detectives, the best of the best, the defenders of Republic City. Raava save us all, she thought.

“Listen up,” she said crisply. “As at least one of you knows, today happens to be my birthday.” No reaction. “The more observant of you might have guessed this based on the giant party hat sitting atop my mother’s statue.” A few snickers. “You might also have noticed the truck going all around the city–the one with the banner displaying my face and wishing me a Happy Birthday.”

Beifong studied the faces in front of her. Lot of grins there save for one. Uh-huh, keep that in mind. “I would also make note of the huge birthday cake that is sitting in the middle of the main atrium. Please note, however, that there are FAR more candles on it than necessary, though I do appreciate the accompanying note that read ‘WARNING DO NOT IGNITE INDOORS’.”

That got a bunch of chuckles, but Stone Face remained utterly impassive. “However,” she continued, “the stuffed badgermole sitting on my desk holding a bottle of Poppy Beifong’s is a bit much. If any of you jokers would like to confess, now’s the time.” As expected, no volunteers. “All right, lilylivers. Go downstairs and have some cake so I don’t have to see it when I leave. Mako, my office.”

Damn but that badgermole was creepy. It just kept staring at her. “You wanted to see me, Chief?” Mako said as he walked in.

Beifong waited. It took a few minutes but he couldn’t keep the straight face. “What gave me away?”

“You didn’t crack a smile the entire time.”

“That’s how I always look.”

Beifong shook her head. “Kid, NOBODY is that innocent.” She sat down in her chair and sighed. “My birth date isn’t widely known. How….?”

“I had Bolin ask your sister.”

“Shit.” Beifong considered opening the bottle of Poppy but decided against it. “Where did you get this thing?” She pointed at the badgermole.

Mako shrugged. “Wu found it in a back room of the palace. He was happy to get rid of it–said it gave him the creeps.”

“No kidding.” She leaned back in her chair and sighed. “So…any more 'surprises’ I should know about?”

Mako smiled ever so slightly. “Well, at 4:30 you’re going to get a call from Pema about an intruder on the island. That’s so you’ll make it to your surprise birthday party.”

“Lovely.”

“And then there’ll be the fireworks display right after sunset.”

“Varrick, no doubt. Okay.” She stared at him for a long moment. “Why?”

Mako thought about it and shrugged. “It’s your birthday.”

Beifong chuckled and shook her head. “All right, kid. Let’s go downstairs and have some cake, and then you are going to get rid of the badgermole. Damn thing keeps staring at me.”

“Will do, Chief.” She waved him on before rising to her feet and heading to the door. She stopped and stared at the badgermole, which in turn stared right back at her.

“I’m getting too damned old for this shit,” she muttered as she closed the door behind her.


End file.
